MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentinian president to swap jobs with wife

Cristina Kirchner will run for president's October 28 election,

Argentine President N&eacutestor Kirchner will not run for reelection in October, but his wife, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, will run in his place, according to Cabinet Chief Alberto Fernandez.

The Official Agency Telam agency quoted the president's Cabinet chief as saying Kirchner's powerful wife, Sen. Cristina Fernandez, would be the leftist ruling coalition's candidate for the Oct. 28 vote and the president will not immediately seek a second term. Cabinet chief Alberto Fernandez told Telam (Sunday night) that Cristina Fernandez would formally announce her candidacy July 19 in her home city of La Plata, the capital of Buenos Aires province and home to a quarter of the country's electorate. The Kirchners have not publicly discussed any reasons why the president -- who would be easily reelected, according to most polls -- would not seek a second term. But he has experienced several recent setbacks, watching endorsed allies lose elections for Buenos Aires mayor and provincial governorships last week. Some analysts suspect she could inject new life into the party, while allowing her husband to run for re-election again in 2011. Argentine term limits prevent more than two consecutive presidential terms. According to recent surveys, either of the Kirchners would easily win this year's election. About 52 percent of voters now have a positive image of President Kirchner, while 61 percent have a positive image of the first lady, polls show. However, the same polls showed that he would win the election by a wider margin. If Mrs. Kirchner wins next October she would become the first Argentine woman elected by universal vote, contrary to Juan Domingo Peron's wife and vice president Isabel Martinez de Peron who became Argentina's leader on the death of her husband July first 1974. The First Lady in the last few months has traveled extensively, Switzerland, France, United States, Mexico, Venezuela and Ecuador, in what is seeing as her presentation to the international stage. Recent public opinion reviews published Sunday in Clarín show Senator Fernandez with a vote intention over 46%, and 30 points ahead of her immediate followers, Elisa Carrió and former economy minister Roberto Lavagna. Senator Fernandez which has worked her own political career both in the Argentine Lower House and in the Senate is also one of the main advisors of President Kirchner who usually makes decisions in consultation with a very small circle. Although Mrs Kirchner's ticket companion has not been defined, the man with greatest chances is Mendoza governor Julio Cobos, who in spite of belonging to the opposition party Radicales is also a strong supporter of the so called "K radicales" who adhere to President Kirchner's "transversal" political project.